Tuesday, March 22, 2016

In appreciation

This is a post to thank actors. (I hope I don't get drummed out of the Writers Guild for this.)

They do a lot of work, give their time and talent for free. (A few later make $30,000,000 a picture but that’s a small number.)

Actors, by and large, are extremely generous with their gift. They do readings, student films, web series, videos, and narration for minimal payment or no payment.

You could argue that unless someone hires an actor he can’t really practice his craft. And that’s true. There are classes and showcases, but actors primarily have to take advantage of the roles that are out there and available. They then have to lucky enough to get those roles. Writers at least don’t need to audition to further their craft. They just need a computer and nearby Starbucks (and maybe an idea).

And writers do their share of pro bono work as well – writing specs. But that screenplay you write on speculation could sell for six figures. Actors doing a screenplay reading rarely find themselves in a bidding war.

I’ve been concentrating on stage plays and theater pieces lately. No one does that for the moolah. You’d stand a much better chance of getting rich by manufacturing phonograph needles. The truth is, other than big productions, theater work is largely a labor of love. No one makes money in small theaters. We do it because we love it.

For me, I get to hear actors performing my work and audiences responding to it. That’s reward enough (although I’d gladly take a nice windfall).

Recently, my new play, GOING GOING GONE, received a staged reading at the Atwater Theatre in Los Angeles as part of EST’s Winterfest staged reading festival. (The photos for today’s post are from that reading.) It went great and provided terrific feedback for future drafts. (What was I thinking with that fucking R2D2 joke?) But what really made the evening a success was the awesome cast I had – a cast that provided their services for free.

So a special thanks to George Wendt, Annie Abrams, Kareem Ferguson, Kevin Comartin, and Tony Pasquilni. And thanks for putting up with me as a director.

12 comments
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Theatre is a labor of love. It really is. I always say you can tell the difference between someone who is acting to be famous vs acting because they love it by whether or not they do theatre. Being a long time member of various community theatre groups, I can say we've always done it because we love the process of live theatre. We get paid in applause and the knowledge we've put on a good show.

In fact, my theatre group, The Village Players of Hatboro are in the final stages of mounting Ken's play A or B? by the way. It's been a great journey, and the actors have been working their bums off, and it is going to be amazing. I highly recommend anyone in or near Montgomery County PA to come see it. It opens April 1st and runs for the first three weekends in April. Go to www.viillageplayers.com for ticket information and details!

Ken, have you ever heard of the New Theatre Restaurant in Kansas City? Seeing Mr. Wendt's picture made me think of it because he's done many performances here in the past and is always enjoyable to see. I just thought if you were looking for venues for your plays in other towns it couldn't hurt to check it out. Sure, it's dinner theater, but it's extremely well-done dinner theater with high production values and a great mix of local and national talent. Ask George about it, I'm sure he could give you some insider info. Just a thought (and maybe the only way I'd ever get to see one of your plays!)

Thanks for acknowledging us actors! Sorry I missed the reading - I was in rehearsal! :)

Speaking of rehearsals, I'd love to invite you to see GORGEOUS, a new play written by Beth Polsky & directed by Paul Messinger - we opened last weekend! It's well written and just good fun. Playing at the Let Live! theater at The Actor Company on Formosa. Info & tix available at http://www.gorgeoustheplay.com/ Industry comps are available - just shoot me an email with your dates (dikoob at mac dot com) or call Amy at (310) 497-3710.

Ken, you just answered something I have wondered about for years. That is why good actors take parts in awful movies. Of course they may not have known for certain the movie would be bad going into it.

I was fortunate enough to be in the audience and enjoyed it immensely. Always good to see what you've been hearing in your mind and reading on the page come to life. And I'm still chuckling over the fact that the biggest name in the cast of a show called Going, Going, Gone was named Wendt...

About KEN LEVINE

Named one of the BEST 25 BLOGS by TIME Magazine. Ken Levine is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer. In a career that has spanned over 30 years Ken has worked on MASH, CHEERS, FRASIER, THE SIMPSONS, WINGS, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, BECKER, DHARMA & GREG, and has co-created three series. He and his partner wrote the feature VOLUNTEERS. Ken has also been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres. and Dodger Talk. He hosts the podcast HOLLYWOOD & LEVINE

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